Whitney Houston's rep is denying the latest spate of rumors about the oft-troubled diva -- that she's so broke that she's been asking friends for hand-outs and that her record label, Arista, had to advance her money against her next album.

The reports, in Britain's Daily Mail and the website RadarOnline ("She might be homeless if not for people saving her. She is broke as a joke," one source tells the website) are "totally false and ridiculous," her rep tells CNN, and points out that Houston just wrapped the movie "Sparkle," an remake of the 1976 film with "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks. "People get paid to make movies. She's not broke."

Houston, who grew up in East Orange, has struggled with addiction -- she checked back into rehab last year -- and has had money woes in the past, despite signing a $100 million record deal with Arista back in 2001. In 2006, she almost lost her Mendham estate to foreclosure after failing to pay local taxes for a year and owing $1 million to her mortgage lender. She apparently paid up, but in 2009 she listed the Mendham property for $2.5 million. A year ago, she dropped the price by 30 percent to $1.75 million, and her realtor removed the listing two days ago, according to Zillow.com. On a more positive note, the house has been reassessed and her property taxes have been slashed in half, to $43,510 a year.